[4]Group03 – Automotive Renewal

The concept of waste in Sunset Park we have defined by the inefficient use of post-
industrial space. This is in part due to the physical, conditional and operational
barriers that are characterized respectively by Gowanus Expressway, the temporal
nature of the waterfront as well as the economic shifts in the U.S. from mass
production to a knowledge-based, service industry over the past half a century.

WASTE-SHED
Our waste-shed relies on the blue-collared employment to an active labor force
comprised of an influx of immigrants. The community is an asset for its direct
connection to maritime opportunities, possible rail freight as well as proposals for
SIMS recycling and Axis Auto Group on South Brooklyn Marine Terminal.

RESPONSE
The amount of “vacant” spaces within these remnants of the industrial age creates
an opportunity for new manufacturing. We realize the potential of skill sets
available in the community that can start to seep through the barriers identified.
Our project hopes to then spatially accommodate the processes involved in
automotive recycling, for example, as a trigger to include a wide range of related
industries to the site.